Wireless communications devices such as the BlackBerry™ by Research in Motion Limited enable users to download map content from web-based data sources such as BlackBerry Maps™, Google Maps™ or Mapquest™. Downloaded map content is displayed on a small LCD display screen of the wireless communications device for viewing by the user. The user can pan up and down and side to side as well as zoom in or out. Labels are rendered on the map to identify map features.
Difficulties arise, however, when labelling curved features such as roads or rivers. Although known algorithms can render curved labels (for example, by computing the respective rotations of each character of the label) and can furthermore improve label readability using anti-aliasing and white glows, these algorithms and techniques are computationally intensive and thus generally unsuitable for the limited onboard processing capacity of current wireless communications devices. Accordingly, a technique for efficiently rendering curved labels on maps displayed on wireless communications devices remains highly desirable.
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.